The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has impounded vehicles and used tires worth N813 million.
The operatives arrested 12 suspects in connection with the importation of those contraband goods into the country.
The Unit also recovered the sum of N81.4 million made through documentary checks and issuance of Demand Notices, D/Ns, on underpayment of duty on consignments cleared from the nation’s sea ports.
Speaking at a press briefing in Ikeja, the Acting Controller of the Unit, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, said: “91 seizures were recorded within August, and 12 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.”
Giving a breakdown of the seizures, Ejibunu said: “6,911 (50 kilograms, kg) bags of foreign parboiled rice (over 11 truck-loads), 345 kg of Indian Hemp, 486 cartons of frozen poultry products, 368 pieces of used tyres, 13 used vehicles (tokunbo vehicles), 32 cartons of expired batteries, one 40 feet container, one used Toyota Corolla, 49 pieces of car rims, 552 pieces of used car tyres, 205 pieces of used truck tyres, 32 pieces of motorcycle tyres, 292 bales of used clothes and 13,529 litres of Premium Motor Spirit were among the seizures made.”
Lamenting the unpatriotic attitude of some Nigerian business men and women, Ejibunu stated: “It is sad to note that some Nigerians would pay all duties and levies payable to the Customs authorities of other countries they import from while they make conscious efforts to evade such payments into the Nigeria’s federal government coffers.”